Tool Kit

godtabh

I went to do some work on the bike over the Christmas. I have an aldi/lidl tool kit and it was ****. Bent a wrench I had with very little force.

Looking to spend a bit of money on a decent one. Would prefer to buy a decent starter set (Park Tools have one for about €100).

Looking for a set for chain changing, cassette changing, crankset changing, pedal and for tightening bolts for brakes etc. Am I missing anything here?

I would like to be able to do general maintenance/swapping components. I generally get the bike serviced twice a year also for cables etc.

Planet X have various Job Worth Sets

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJW30PCTK/jobsworth-pro-workshop-quality-30pc-tool-kit/?page=2&#Acomment

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJW33PC/jobsworth-super-pro-all-u-need-workshop-toolkit

For £55. Any good?

Cee-Jay-Cee

It's hard to know what the quality is like with the PX kits.

I bought everything individually. You won't need half the stuff in that kit. Buy a quality chain whip, cassette locking tool, tri hex tool (4/5/6mm) and some tyre levers and you'll have enough to get started. If you plan on doing bigger jobs like replacing inner and outer cables you can buy cable cutters at the same time as the new cables. I wouldn't start buying crank removal tools etc etc unless you actually need them.

godtabh

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It's hard to know what the quality is like with the PX kits.

I bought everything individually. You won't need half the stuff in that kit. Buy a quality chain whip, cassette locking tool, tri hex tool (4/5/6mm) and some tyre levers and you'll have enough to get started. If you plan on doing bigger jobs like replacing inner and outer cables you can buy cable cutters at the same time as the new cables. I wouldn't start buying crank removal tools etc etc unless you actually need them.

Yeah. Maybe I am better buying individually

I have a stages PM that I generally move the whole crank set as the other bike has some basic 11 speed crank and I just move the ultegra crankset between bikes.

crosstownk

godtabh wrote: »

Yeah. Maybe I am better buying individually

I bought bits and pieces individually over time and as needs required.

Poor quality tools are a total waste of time and money. You don't need to buy the very best but you do need something that will last - much like buying a bike.

iwillhtfu

Surprised at the halfords one being utter ****e I've built several bikes with one of those sets. I have bought items individually but got caught once to fix a bike away from home so picked up a halfords kit. I now find myself taking that out anytime I'm working on a bike.

I'm sure park tools are a lot better but they're designed for bike mechanics that will be working on several bikes/day. I've picked up a few of the PX tools and they'd be similar quality to halfords. In saying the above the nature of my job lends an array of high quality tools to me so they might be clouding judgement.

One thing I would pick up and it seems an awful waste is the cable cutter. I used a snips for years but the cable specific cutter gives a nice clean end.

magicbastarder

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Surprised at the halfords one being utter ****e I've built several bikes with one of those sets.

not sure if i'm reading you right, but there were no claims about halfords kits?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I've mainly bought BBB and Lifeline (wiggle) tools and found them very good quality compared to the crap found in Aldi/Lidl kits, they're also much cheaper than Park tools. I do have a park tool chain whip though as the two previous cheaper tools I had broke on me.

Chuchote

I bought this toolkit, purely because of the hypnotic moustache of the man advertising it. It cost me around €300: €13 for the kit, and then because I was shocked at the idea of paying €18 for shipping, some €280 to go to France for a few days and pick it up…

Lovely little toolkit, though.

iwillhtfu

magicbastarder wrote: »

not sure if i'm reading you right, but there were no claims about halfords kits?

Ah my bad. Specs savers it is. No experience with aldi/Lidlington ones

ted1

I find the ALDI stuff is up to the job, realistically the tools don't get much use and can't justify spending much.

Cassette twice a year, chain. 4 times a year, brake pads and cables varies

Weepsie

I broke a Halfords chain whip the very first time I used it. I only do the most basic of maintenance so the aldi one is grand, though the allen keys are utter crap.

Chuchote

The French kits generally seem pretty nice https://www.bikester.fr/accessoires-de-cyclisme/outils-et-montage/boites-a-outils.html

tomasrojo

I did buy a general tool kit that Blorg recommended years ago: PBK Budget tool kit. But it was just a cheap way to get a few last tools I needed (chain whip, Shimano bottom bracket remover and Shimano freehub lockring tool) and a box in which to put some of the better tools I already had. I had already gotten most of my tools one at a time as I needed them to do a job.

The chain breaker in the general tool kit was first to break, and the pedal wrench bent on a friend's fused pedal stem. So I definitely recommend buying good quality versions of those separately.

(Funnily enough, the generic, non-bike-specific stuff in the tool kit, such as allen keys, screwdriver bits, small spanner, sockets and socket extension bar I use all the time for DIY purposes. So it was a great buy in the end.)

arybvtcw0eolkf

Like others said here I also think you're better building up your kit as you go.

I'm lucky in so far as I service my car, motorbikes and bicycles so I'm rarely stuck for a tool, but when I am I usually look at Halfords tools first ~ they really are up to a professional mechanics standards, fantastic gear at small money.

For my saddle bag I've a Topeak Alien II which I've found to be excellent when I've had to press it into service.

I've tried some of the Aldi/Halfords tools and apart from their work stand I wouldn't waste my money and time on them again.

crosstownk

Abril Obedient Firearm wrote: »

I've tried some of the Aldi/Halfords tools and apart from their work stand I wouldn't waste my money and time on them again.

I agree. The Lidl/Aldi (I can't remember which) work stand that I have is amazing value. Sturdy, strong and is still perfect after 3 years.

I also have a Lidl multitool that I bring with me on every spin. I use it rarely but it's obvious to me that the metal in the tool is soft. No way would I use it for regular maintenance but it's perfect for a roadside repair. Soft tools will just fcuk with the bolts/nuts.

Most of the tools I use are from my car mechanic days and are 30+ years old. Quality tools are well worth the money and will last a lifetime. My great great grandkids will be in awe at my Snap On ratcheting screwdriver set.

arybvtcw0eolkf

crosstownk wrote: »

I agree. The Lidl/Aldi (I can't remember which) work stand that I have is amazing value. Sturdy, strong and is still perfect after 3 years.

I also have a Lidl multitool that I bring with me on every spin. I use it rarely but it's obvious to me that the metal in the tool is soft. No way would I use it for regular maintenance but it's perfect for a roadside repair. Soft tools will just fcuk with the bolts/nuts.

Most of the tools I use are from my car mechanic days and are 30+ years old. Quality tools are well worth the money and will last a lifetime. My great great grandkids will be in awe at my Snap On ratcheting screwdriver set.

The stands should be coming up again in the next two months.

The Topeak Alien II multi tool is really a great addition to the saddle bag, it might be a little heavy for some but its really top quality.

I have some Snap On, but the Halfords 'Professional' range is a lot cheaper and carries a lifetime warranty. I striped a ratchet changing suspension units on my sons car a few years ago, brought it back to the shop without a receipt and got a replacement without argument, can't fault that.